


Be Mine

by ZhenLe



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Shota!Makoto and Haruka!sensei, daycare AU, huuuuuuuuuge age gap if you don't like it please dont read it aha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 13:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1389706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZhenLe/pseuds/ZhenLe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daycare AU - Makoto falls in love with young Haruka-sensei and well, fluff ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was for Rinrin (Kanariiya on tumblr) for her Christmas present LAST YEAR. Wow don't look at me what I was I even thinking when I wrote this.

“Sensei, sensei!”

A pair of blue eyes set in pale skin travelled to where the sound was coming from. A small toddler stumbled towards him, eyes bright and cheeks flushed with excitement.

_If I remember correctly, his name is…Makoto?_

“Sensei – ah!”

Haruka caught the boy just as he was about to fall face first onto the floor.

“Careful,” he murmured softly.

“Sensei! Will you play wiff me?”

Staring down at the glassy green eyes that gleamed with anticipation, Haruka knew there was no escape from this five-year old boy. He lifted his hand to stroke the soft chestnut hair.

“Okay, what do you want to play?”

The child giggled with bubbly enthusiasm as he placed a dolphin plushie into Haruka’s lap.

~

Makoto was the last to leave the daycare centre that day. He had always been the last; his parents both had jobs that required long hours at work. Neither of them seemed to be able to find a more flexible schedule, so they were finally forced into the decision of leaving their child in the care of others.

Thankfully, they had chosen a kindergarten that provided child care needs long after school hours. That was perfect for the Tachibanas. Since Makoto was barely a year old, he had been under the care of the same daycare centre, up until now. This year was the year he turned five. This was also the year Haruka applied for a part-time job at that same child-care centre.

After graduating from high school, Haruka’s parents still hadn’t returned from Tokyo and he continued living alone. He sometimes found it hard when he didn’t have enough money on hand, especially since he was earning none of his own. The fact that his parents were living in Tokyo didn’t help at all – the monthly allowance they sent to him didn’t seem like enough.

Expenses weren’t the only reason, however, that the 19-year old had chosen to start working at the daycare centre. He never admitted it to anyone, especially not his parents, but he missed social interactions and physical communication. He was never one to socialise, but now with his parents and classmates gone, he felt isolated more than ever.

That was what landed Haruka where he was right now.

~

As Haruka walked back home, he caught himself thinking of the emerald green eyes belonging to the one child that had latched himself into Haruka’s life from day one.

When he had first gotten an offer to work at the daycare centre, the raven was thrilled at the idea of finally being able to earn some money as well as start his social life afresh. Little did he know that he would be shunned, even by _little children_ who could barely walk on their own. And Haruka didn’t know why, he didn’t understand why people didn’t come near to him, try to socialise with him.

Feeling very downhearted and discouraged, Haruka was so tempted to quit his job in search for something else. If not for the little brunet that was a little too outspoken, a little too over-enthusiastic, and very, _very_ outgoing, Haruka would have left in a flash.

During the first day at work, Haruka had been left with odd jobs such as cleaning the toilets, helping with the cooking, throwing out the garbage. The sole reason behind this was the fact that none of the toddlers would get near him. One glance at him and they no longer cared. Haruka felt a deep hurt in his chest that he tried to cover up with that signature monotonous face.

It was only when the day started to draw to an end that the green-eyed child bundled with brown hair, a huge smile, and a slightly larger stature compared to the rest of the children approached Haruka.

“Sensei, do you want to play wiff me?”

And that was all it took to confirm the decision in staying at the centre.

 

* * *

 

Ever since the fateful encounter that day, the relationship between the two blossomed and deepened. Haruka was the ever doting guardian (although he never openly showed it) and Makoto the bright sunny child that stuck like glue to his beloved sensei.

It had barely been a month since the two became close, but one day Makoto came running to Haruka and dove into his open arms.

“Sensei!”

“Makoto? What’s wrong?”

“Sensei, I wuv you!”

“E-eh?”

Haruka merely blinked and looked down into the green eyes that stared lovingly back into his blue ones.

“I wuv Sensei.” The boy reiterated, looking so dead serious, yet so affectionate at the same time.

“Uh, o-okay.”

He wasn’t used to this sort of outright ‘confession’, especially not coming from a five-year old boy. And he had no idea what to say, he had no reply. Yet, those emerald eyes continued boring into his own, as if Makoto was expecting something more. Haruka sighed to himself.

“T-thank you?”

Makoto’s face held a slightly crimson blush (which was not very rare) as he started to laugh.

“Sensei is so funny!”

 

* * *

 

It was almost a year later and Makoto had turned six. It was a rainy afternoon. None of the children were allowed to go outside and play for fear of slipping or catching colds. So it was decided that the children would be allowed to bake cookies today; Haruka was good at such things after all.

“Haru-chan-sensei, Haru-chan-sensei!”

The raven sighed as he turned to look down at little Makoto who had started with that weird nickname just a few weeks back.

 _Why do you call me Haru-chan-sensei?_ He had asked, but the brunet had only giggled and said that it was cute.

“I want cookies!”

“We have to bake them first, Makoto.”

“Okay! Can we bake them now? Please? Please?”

“Yes, yes, calm down Makoto it’ll take awhile…”

“But, b-but Haru-chan-sensei…”

“Be patient, Makoto.” Haruka’s eyes softened at the sight of the downcast face, “We can play while we wait for them to finish okay?”

That was more than enough to return the cheery smile to the boy’s face.

“Okay!”

They ended up playing together with the toys provided after the cookies were safely in the oven and the rest of the children were amusing themselves.

And it might or might not have been coincidence that Haruka gave Makoto the biggest cookie in the batch when they were done.

 

* * *

 

Only a few days later, Makoto came down with the cold. It was most probably due to the fact that right now was the rainy season and the children were catching the flu virus right left and centre. Makoto just so happened to fall victim to it, but unfortunately neither of his parents were able to take leave to look after their son. So naturally, he fell into the care of Haruka.

“A-a-ACHOO!”

The boy’s body shook as a sneeze ripped through the quiet air. It was nap time for the children, but Makoto was having difficulty sleeping; he would doze off and wake up again to either sneeze or cough.

“Shh,” Haruka stroked the boy’s back, “here.”

Wiping Makoto’s slightly red nose, Haruka surveyed the room to make sure none of the other children had woken up. They hadn’t, so he turned his attention back to the boy in his lap who was trying to control his sniffing.

“Blow your nose, Makoto.”

“O-okay, Haru-chan-sensei” he whispered in a slightly hoarse voice as he took the tissue held out for him.

~

It wasn’t long before Makoto was fast asleep once again, face buried in Haruka’s chest and fingers tightly clutching onto his shirt. His somewhat heavy breathing (due to the cold) commenced soon after, and even though Haruka usually found such noises to be a pain, he found that he endured this one without trouble.

Half an hour passed, and the rhythm of Makoto’s breathing had not once been disturbed. That in itself was a miracle, given the fact that he had not been able to sleep due to sneezes or coughs. That was what kept Haruka sitting there, still and unmoving, not wanting to cause any disturbances. It was a test of endurance for him, all for the sake of the small boy sleeping in his lap.

“H-haru-chan…s-sensei…”

“M-makoto, are you awake?” Haruka whispered, fearing that he had done something to wake him up.

“S-sensei…” Makoto nuzzled further into the warmth in front of him.

 _So he’s still asleep huh?_ Haruka let out a rare smile as he wrapped his arms around the sleeping boy. _How cute._

“I-I luv…you…”

“E-eh?”

Haruka’s eyes widened as he looked down at the chestnut brown hair. _Seriously?_

“Sensei…sensei, I luv you…”

“Okay, okay,” Haruka stroked his back, “Shh…”

The sleeping Makoto just wouldn’t let it go, however.

“B-but sensei…I-I luv you!”

“I know Makoto, I know.”

Haruka tried to plead with him as much as he could to get the boy back into a deep slumber, but nothing seemed to be working. As Makoto’s voice continued to ring louder and louder, Haruka became more and more anxious about the other sleeping children surrounding them.

 _What do I do?_ He couldn’t cover the boy’s mouth for fear of suffocating him. He couldn’t wake him up because it would be so hard to get him back to sleep.

“I luv you…I luv you…”

“Okay,” Haruka took a deep breath, “I-I…l-love you…too…”

That was the only spell that could cease Makoto’s relentless chanting – a small smile appeared on his face before the repeated ‘I luv you’s came to a halt and the boy drifted once more into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

Just a few days after Makoto had finally turned seven, he started to carry a rather downcast face instead of the usual bright cheery one that Haruka was used to. The young man wondered why. What had caused his little bundle of happiness to suddenly become so downhearted and dejected? He didn’t like it, and immediately resolved to get to the bottom of this issue.

So one day, after all the other children had gone home, he sat down on the floor behind where Makoto was pouting.

“Makoto.”

“Yes, sensei?”

“What’s wrong? Are you upset about something?”

“Haru-chan-sensei…”

The brunet turned around to face him, exposing a flushed face and watery eyes. Shocked at the sight, Haruka’s first instinct was to scramble closer and take him into his arms. Makoto immediately broke down and started sobbing, not so quietly, into Haruka’s shirt.

“O-oi, Makoto…”

“S-sensei, sensei! Sensei, I-I d-don’t want t-to leave y-you”

 _Leave me? Why are you leaving me?_ Haruka stroked his back gently.

“I don’t understand, what happened?”

Whimpering, Makoto started to explain in between sobs and sniffs.

“M-my parents…w-we’re l-leaving…to T-Tok-kyo…”

Haruka could only stare, unmoving, unbelieving, at the top of the chestnut brown hair. _Leaving to Tokyo? But why?_

“O-otosan…he g-got a b-better job…”

The air between the two was cold and dense, almost suffocating. Haruka thought he might break at any moment now; his only life-support, the only thing that had kept him at the daycare centre, the one person that had always made his days so much better, it was all going to go.

Taking in a few deep breaths, Haruka tried to calm the tempest that was whirring in his stomach.

“So…y-you’re going with your parents?”

“Y-yes…”

_Be happy for him. Be happy._

“That’s great, Makoto. U-uh when are you leaving?”

“A-after school c-closes…”

“I see…”

Haruka really had no idea what to say. He was devastated, to the point of just staring blankly at the floor. Never in his life had he become so attached to someone, to a _child_ , and that child was now going to leave him.

“Will you come back?” he whispered, voice about to crack.

Makoto suddenly looked up, green eyes gleaming brighter than ever, full of determination.

“I will come back. Definitely, I will come back to see Haru-chan-sensei.”

 

* * *

 

The last day of school approached the pair a lot sooner than they would’ve liked. It hit like an unexpected storm and stung like a thousand bees. Today was their parting day.

When all the children had been picked up by their parents and were safely on their way home, Haruka started to clean up the area. Makoto still lingered, as usual; his parents were still at work.

Haruka tried to clear his mind of all negative thoughts of Makoto leaving to Tokyo. He had been more than tempted to move to Tokyo with his parents too, just so that he could be close to the child. But in the spur of the moment, he had made a promise with the said child that he’d stay at the daycare centre.

_“So that when I come back, I know where to look for Haru-chan-sensei!”_

Tears threatened to roll down his cheeks, but he kept them in with much effort. Haruka had never been one to cry, but it wasn’t as though he was completely detached from his emotions. No, he was rather emotional, but it was all kept inside, bottled up in his heart where no one could see.

~

A couple of hours passed, and the cleaning had long since been completed. Ignoring his own warnings, Haruka settled down to play with Makoto. For the past two years together, playing with each other was nothing new or special. Yet today, it meant everything to not just Haruka, but Makoto as well. He knew all too well that this was going to be the last time before moving to Tokyo.

When he could take it no longer, Makoto put down the toy he was holding and stood up. Blue eyes followed him as their owner wondered what the boy was up to. The brunet simply walked over to his teacher and settled himself down on his lap.

“M-makoto?”

“Haru-chan-sensei, please read me a book.”

That was what they ended up doing for the next hour, completely absorbed in their own world, relaxing in each other's warmth.

~

Makoto had started to doze off, but was immediately woken up by a pair of familiar voices. His head peeked out from Haruka’s shoulder and he caught a glimpse of his parents.

“Otosan, okaasan!”

The formalities between Makoto’s parents and Haruka were soon dismissed as they squatted down to face their son.

“Did you have fun today, Mako-kun?”

“Yes! Sensei is the best!”

Haruka couldn’t hide his embarrassment manifested in a bright red blush on his face.

“I’m glad, but now you have to say goodbye to sensei okay?”

The bright green eyes immediately formed a glassy coating of tears.

“H-haru-chan-sensei…”

“Makoto.” Haruka squatted down to receive the boy into his arms, “Don’t cry.”

“Sensei, don’t ever leave this place okay? I promise I will come back to find you!”

“Okay, it’s a promise.”

It took a fair amount of coaxing to get Makoto back to his parents. Even then, as they were leaving for the car, Makoto told them to wait and ran back into the daycare centre to see his sensei one last time.

“Makoto? Why did you come back?”

“Ne, Haruka-sensei. I have something to ask you.”

 _Haruka-sensei? He’s never called me that before._ Makoto’s face was so serious, and Haruka stood there waiting for him to continue. The boy took a deep breath.

“Haruka-sensei. I love you. Please marry me, sensei!”

“W-what?”

When those words finally sunk in, a deep blush formed across his cheeks, reflecting the one on Makoto’s face, and Haruka almost toppled over with shock.

“M-marry you? Makoto?”

“Yes, Haruka-sensei. Will you marry me?”

“Maybe if you were an adult…” he muttered, “I’m sorry Makoto. I can’t accept your request right now…”

Haruka was so sure that Makoto would burst into tears, but instead the boy just stood there, more determined than ever.

“Wait for me, sensei. One day I will also be an adult like you! Please marry me then, sensei!”

When Makoto was finally safe in his parents’ car, Haruka stood there and waved until the family was out of sight. He felt hollower than ever, his heart held a hole that nothing could seal. And it was still beating rapidly from Makoto’s proposal, a proposal that neither of them would ever forget. Turning around, Haruka wiped away a stray tear that had started to slide down his face.

At home, doing the final preparations for Tokyo, Makoto had finally gotten over the initial stage of sadness at leaving Iwatobi and his sensei behind. As they started their journey to the new and foreign city, Makoto stared out the window into the sunset.

_Wait for me, Haruka-sensei. Wait for me._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the part in which Makoto doubts not only himself, but Haruka and the promise they made a long time ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so it's April Fool's Day ahahahaha (and my tumblog turned one today just fyi I don't know I'm rambling)   
> Anywayssss I really still do believe I messed this up big time I don't know I just doubt this is any good...but hope you enjoy!~

Makoto stared out the window, twirling his pen idly in his hand. It was on days like this, when they were given study sessions, when it was raining, when there was peace and quiet, that his thoughts would veer off in the direction of his childhood crush.

_“Please marry me, sensei!”_

The brunet immediately blushed at the memory, quickly covering the bottom half of his face with his hand. _I was such an idiot._

Although more than ten years had passed, despite the fact that he was now 18 and a fully grown adolescent, Makoto couldn’t shake off the deep ‘love’ he had for Haruka-sensei. In bed, he would often dream of those pure blue eyes and pale skin. Whenever he swam, he would imagine the warmth of sensei’s arms. During lessons, he would catch himself daydreaming of the monotonous face that he loved.

_I’m an adult now, aren’t I?_

 

* * *

When the Tachibanas had first arrived in Tokyo, they had immediately enrolled Makoto in a public school to get him started for the next school year. Still with the objective in mind, the brunet himself had requested to sign on for swimming classes in order to become a strong and fit. To sculpt himself a body that sensei would appreciate.

Grades and academic achievements were no problem to the young swimmer; he aced almost all his subjects, he was loved by all his teachers, respected by his peers. As he went from elementary to middle and finally to high school, not once did he let his grades slip. Everything was done so that he could become smart and dependable. To acquire mind and skills that sensei would admire.

Whether he was ‘good-looking’ or not, Makoto was never sure. What he could say, was, that in all these years in school, he had been asked on dates by countless of girls, received multiple ‘giri’ chocolate on Valentine’s Day that were actually honmei (but everyone knew that Makoto wouldn’t accept those), and hit on right left and centre. He had never accepted any girl into his life in a romantic way, however. That one special place in his heart labelled ‘love’ was reserved for his one and only.

 

* * *

“Makoto, Ran, Ren.”

The dinner table suddenly fell silent as Mr. Tachibana started to speak.

“We might be moving back to Iwatobi.”

The hushed silence did not let up for awhile more, before Makoto’s shocked voice broke it.

“Eh?! Otosan, are you serious?”

“I am, Makoto.” He gave a small smile, looking fairly relaxed and happy.

_Iwatobi._ Makoto gulped. _Haruka-sensei._

“Where’s Iwatobi?” Ran questioned, mouth half full with food.

“It’s where we were living before Tokyo, dear” Mrs. Tachibana filled her in, “It’s a really nice city.”

_Yes, especially since that’s where Haruka-sensei is._ Makoto couldn’t seem to contain his excitement as he went forward with a slew of questions.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“My company might want to move me back to Iwatobi,” his father explained, “They’re lacking employees over there.”

“When are we moving?”

“We’re not certain yet, most probably after you graduate from high school Makoto.”

The dinner conversation turned into more excited talk and a Q&A session from the children to their parents. Makoto’s heart had never beat more rapidly in the last few years as it was right now. In fact, his stomach was joining in with its own flips and his hands trembled in the excitement of it all.

~

That night, after his bath, Makoto lay in bed hugging a bright blue dolphin plushie that his parents had bought him when they moved to Tokyo. He remembered clearly the reason why he had chosen it – it reminded him so much of sensei.

“Haruka-sensei…” he breathed into the dolphin, “I wonder if you still remember me…”

That night, Makoto fell into a deep sleep where all he could dream about was his beloved sensei’s face and everything about him. _Wait for me, sensei._

 

* * *

The finals were just round the corner, and every single student in Makoto’s grade was either panicking or cramming their hardest. Studying was first on each of their minds; they needed good grades to get into a good university and find a good job. The brunet, however, was one in the minority who had already been accepted into a university, a university in Iwatobi.

When he had applied to Iwatobi University, the first and foremost reason was not because it had been confirmed that they were moving back there. No, it was actually because Haruka-sensei was there. Or so he had promised years ago. Makoto continued on believing that his sensei had kept his promise all these years. _Are you still waiting for me?_

The day the exams finally came to haunt the students, it was no surprise when Makoto effortlessly flew through each paper. All his hard work, all the effort that he had put in, everything that he had done paid off. What he never admitted though, was that it was all for sensei. He would never admit that to anyone, that was the one secret he kept to himself and loved.

Days went by, exams were completed one by one. Makoto continued to study as hard as he could, trying his hardest to push all wonderful thoughts of sensei to the back of his mind. That was the last distraction he could afford to have at this crucial time. And, of course, he was rewarded with one of the highest scores in his cohort. _Will Haruka-sensei accept me now?_

~

His parents were, as they always were, elated with their son’s high achievements. They were now rest assured that Makoto’s place in Iwatobi University would not be revoked, and they went ahead with their plans to move back to the little city that held all of Makoto’s childhood memories, and most importantly, Haruka-sensei.

 

* * *

“Are you ready, Makoto?”

Makoto sleepily looked up from his suitcase and saw his mother’s dark green eyes in the doorway.

“Almost, I’ll be done in five minutes.”

“Okay, make sure you don’t forget anything!”

The brunet sighed to himself as he stared down at the items in his bag. Today was their last and final day in Tokyo; all their furniture, appliances, belongings, etc. were now being shipped back to their old home in Iwatobi. _Is Haruka-sensei still waiting for me?_

~

When the last of their bags had been packed and the empty house surveyed and cleaned, the Tachibana family stepped out into the cold early morning. The streets were already alive with cars racing to work, street lamps shone brightly, the city lights flashed against the dark sky.

They had all woken up early in order to catch straight train to Iwatobi; all the other rides had a stop somewhere in the middle. Makoto took a deep breath as he, for the last time, looked around the busy city of Tokyo. Even though he was starting to miss it, that feeling was overridden by the anticipation at the prospect of being able to see sensei again. He blew on his cold hands in attempt to calm his nerves. _Haruka-sensei, I’m coming home!_

~

The train ride felt like it would never end. Makoto stared aimlessly out of the window, watching and waiting for any sign of ‘Iwatobi’, but there were none just yet.

The twins were fast asleep, curled up together next to Makoto. His parents were seated opposite them due to the full carriage.

Makoto was much too nervous to fall asleep. He was finally, finally going back to Iwatobi. Back to Haruka-sensei. His heart thumped, its rhythm frenzied and hard, almost as if it were jumping for joy.

_Will sensei still remember me?_ Makoto looked down at his hands. _I need to buy him a present._

A good portion of the ride was spent thinking about what Haruka would want as a gift. He wouldn’t know that Makoto was coming back. This was going to be such a huge surprise. The teen’s green eyes sparkled with excitement for a split second before a dull green took over. _What if he doesn’t remember me?_

Internal conflicts started to rise in his mind as he started to really question himself and sensei.

_Why would Haruka-sensei remember you? What makes you so special? He’s probably moved on. He won’t accept you. You haven’t even seen him for over ten years, of course he wouldn’t remember!_

Makoto buried his face in his hands as he tried to compose himself.

_But Haruka-sensei promised, didn’t he? He promised to wait for me. He promised!_

His heart started to race wildly. His eyes started to burn with oncoming tears that he was straining to keep back. His hands and legs were trembling ever so slightly.

_Sensei wouldn’t forget me, would he?_

 

* * *

The sun was beginning to set by the time the family arrived at Iwatobi. Shuffling along the unusually crowded platform, they struggled with the luggage on them but finally managed to reach a less crowded area.

Makoto’s heart was a huge mess, and that mess had only gotten messier and messier as they travelled the once-familiar road to their old house. _Does he even think about me?_

“We’re here at last~” Mrs Tachibana sang, overjoyed, once they had come to their destination.

There was no time to lose. Not for Makoto at least. The sun was already going down, way too quickly for his liking.

“Okaasan. Uhm, there’s something I have to do. I’ll be back soon, is that alright?”

Trusting her son fully, the permission was granted almost immediately. Makoto dropped his bags and took off in an instant, heart pounding and hands shaking.

_Wait for me, Haruka-sensei!_

~

When the last child was finally come for, Haruka waved politely at the parents before turning around and cleaning up. It had been more than ten years since he had come to work at this place. He had never thought that this job would have suited him long-term; Haruka had even doubted himself when he had first joined. But of course, he was still here. Still at the same place where he had promised.

It had been more than ten years since he last saw _him._

Haruka smiled fondly to himself as he reminisced old times where he had used to play with a bubbly brunet, a little too large for his age and yet surprisingly gentle for his size. _I wonder…what is he like now?_

~

Beads of sweat were running down his face as Makoto rushed towards the place where he had spent his childhood days at. Down the familiar road his parents had taken him every morning, surging forward to the bright hope waiting at the end. No matter how much he doubted himself at the moment, no matter how much he doubted sensei at the moment, he had determined to do this. His whole life had been for this moment. This was his goal. _Sensei is waiting for me_.

~

The daycare centre looked spick and span once more. The toys were all cleared away, the tables and chairs wiped, the floor vacuumed. Haruka stretched and yawned lazily as he went to collect his things from the backroom. It was finally time to go home.

Grabbing his sweater and backpack, he walked out of the room silently and slowly, feeling a little tired. _Thank goodness it’s Friday…_

Haruka walked out to the front door and before he could step outside a powerful force, a blur of dark brown and green and a mix of other colours, seemed to rush right past him and into the building itself.

“Wha-”

He spun around, astounded, to face the bent back of someone panting heavily. Haruka was too shocked for words, he could only stare at the large stature of the person’s body, glimpse at the unkempt olive-green hair that poked out in multiple directions. _What in the world is going on?!_

~

Makoto finally straightened up after catching his breath. His face was flushed not only from the sprint, but from the sight of the beautiful man he had just run past. _That is Haruka-sensei, isn’t it?_

Slowly turning around to face the shorter man, the brunet’s face turned a deep shade of red as he awed at the sight in front of him. Haruka-sensei, _his_ sensei, was standing right there. He still looked the same; his hair was still the silky smooth pitch black it had always been, his pale complexion as youthful as ever, and those vibrant blue eyes that shone as beautifully as ever.

_Haruka-sensei. How is he still so beautiful? He’s gorgeous, even after all these years. And I am still madly in love with him. Oh, what do I do now?_

Makoto stiffened as the man opposite coughed. The azure eyes left a blazing trail right down his body, across his chest, on his face.

“May I help you with something?”

“Yes, marry me Haruka-sensei!” he blurted out, unthinking, producing a bouquet of flowers he had been hiding the entire time.

It had been a spur of the moment thing, an absentminded reply, an instinctive action.

Makoto couldn’t fathom why exactly he had said that so quickly, but as what he had just said settled into the air between them, his face suddenly burst out into the deepest shade of red it could ever be. His cheeks burned with embarrassment and his eyes started to water. _What have I done?!_

Haruka started to move forward, and Makoto hurriedly hid his face behind the flowers, still red and blushing furiously. His heart beat at an abnormal rate, his hands shook more than they had ever shaken before. He was a complete wreck of emotions.

“Makoto. Is that really you?”

Still hiding his face, he managed to squeak a very high-pitched ‘yes’ to confirm his identity.

“Ne, Makoto. Look at me.”

When he didn’t move, Haruka reached out to grab the flowers out of Makoto’s hands, exposing his petrified face.

“You’ve grown so much. You used to be so tiny.” Haruka let slip a smile as his blue eyes twinkled with fond memories.

“S-sensei…”

“Ah, you’re finally speaking.”

“Sensei…do you find me…weird?”

“Why would I?”

Haruka moved closer to him and started in a hushed whisper.

“I can’t believe you still remember me after all these years, Makoto. You’ve made me so happy.”

“Haruka-sensei!” Makoto cried, his eyes brimming with tears, before pulling the other into a tight unexpected hug, “Sensei, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve thought about you every day, I was always waiting to go back to you. And, after all these years, I still love you sensei. I still want to spend the rest of my life with you. It’s only you, it’s always been you!”

He had started crying into Haruka’s shoulder, his entire body trembling and voice full of passion and emotion. The one and only person he had longed to see, the person he had fantasised about, that he had wished to see more than anything else. That person was right in front of him, right there, in his arms. Finally tangible, finally visible, finally right there. Right here.

“But you know, sensei, it’s okay i-if you d-don’t accept me. I-I’ll understand if you’ve found s-someone else, or if you don’t want someone like m-me. I’ll understand, I-I’ll –”

“Makoto.”

The boy froze, his breath hitched in silent anticipation. _Is Haruka-sensei going to reject me now?_

“Makoto…I’ve only been waiting for _you_ all these years. Why do you think I’m still here?”

Haruka squeezed the brunet a little tighter, proving his seriousness and his words. Makoto’s mind was in a daze. _Haruka-sensei’s been waiting for_ me _all these years?_

“You’re finally back, Makoto.”


End file.
